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Legacy of Darkness (3.5e Campaign Setting)/Geography/Palantium
Palantium * Size: Gigantic (Continental) * Shape: Strange Prism (similar to a crystal) * Location: Within the Inner Ring, on the eastern pole. * Climate: Temperate * Terrain: Urban * Other Features: The biggest shard, second only to the outer shard of Ezuria. * Race: :80% Imperial :15% Mane :5% Others * Civilization Traits * Owner: Imperial (Potentate's Empire) * Dominant Alignment: Lawful Neutral, Lawful Evil (higher nobility), Lawful Good (citizen) * Civilization State: Absolute Monarchy, Imperial Bureaucracy * Religious Beliefs: Primaris Imperial Cult * Other Civilization Traits: House the Imperial Parliament, the Imperial Palace and most of the Imperial Bureacracy and structure.. * History and Background: Palantium is the home shard of the Imperial, urban city cover the entire shard making it the single most habited shard. It is the home of the Potentate, the supreme ruler of the Palantium empire. The shard is incredibly wealthy and have much of the military power in the inner ring only to itself. History The Beginning (0 AS- approx 1200 AS): Unlike many resource-poor smaller shards, the shard of Palantium was big and rich. However much of it landscape was glassed and almost useless the shard in it early day was mostly unable to support life. The shard was divided into 2 habitable region, between them a desert of ash and lava making early travel on mostly impossible. Both region developed independently, expanding when parts of the big desert became tolerable. The early imperials fared on these region, building the nations of Tunia and Gulu, both nations had extremely limited contact with each other making unification extremely unlikely. During the 2th millennium after the shattering trade routes begin to be established in the great desert, most of it became tolerable and some region even suitable for settlements. Tunia and Gulu (1200 AS-1946 AS): Soon Tunia and Gulu waged their first wars over newly found resources and habitable regions. The shamans of Gulu and the warriors of Tunia fought for dozen of years. At no avail, both nations suffered terrible losses and the multiple wars wore down the newly inhabited regions' people. Many isolated settlement declared independence and most were crushed by the ever-growing armies. For an entire millennium, the flames of war raged on Palantium. Thousands of innocents died in each of these conflicts, the generals grew sadistic and brutal and the soldiers weary and bitter. At some point almost all culture was lost, as both nations descended into total savagery. The 3rd Millennium of Palantium will be known as the Black Age. The Black Age (1946 AS - 2998 AS): During this period of endless war many technological advancement were lost, including the techniques used to forge iron. Generals were given total power and soldiers run amok killing civilians of their own nation. This age is ironically also known as the Golden Age of Mercenaries, most heroes of the time were not soldiers or general but sword-for-hire. The Black Age ended brutally after Gulu was destroyed by the Tunian's army. The Tunian soldiers killed, pillaged and raped their way to the capital to finally slaughter all and completely destroying the city. Countless wonders were lost, and about 100,000 men, women and children were slaughtered. Many more forced into slavery, the Tunian soldiers leaves most "conquered" region of Gulu unguarded allowing a few village to regroup and survive. The Age of Silence & Delgrim (2998 AS - 3050 AS): After the fall of Gulu, the Tunian's generals returned to their home country. However the cost of war was so great that the whole shard was plunged into a massive starvation. The Tunian's army turned on it general and in a raw display of violence and chaos the nation was forced into a massive civil war. Every single troops were recalled to the homeland, but a few generals stayed behind claiming Gulu's land for themselves. The General Pugal, a lesser military commander managed to grab the loyalties of many mercenaries using riches he pillaged from the capital. For the next 10 years, Pugal would conquer lesser warlords and set himself as king of the new nation of Delgrim. Delgrim was a corrupted nation, led by corrupted leaders. The upper class lived in extreme luxury while Guluian were left in small overtaxed tribal villages with minimal technology and literally no state service. Eventually Delgrim started a campaign to conquer the weakened Tunia, halting the Tunian's civil war, conflicts started once again. The Rise of the Lion Queen (3055 AS): The Lion Queen appear in Gulu/Delgrim she was a powerful woman, formidable in both body and mind and proficient in both magic and combat. She was a incredibly charismatic leader as she united many tribes under her leadership. Once she gathered enough tribes she led her forces in battle herself, winning almost all thanks to the poor-defence left behind by the Delgrim's army to protect the land. She quickly got an hold over the land, claiming many ill-defended forts and uniting more tribes. She also offered defeated soldiers a chance to join her forces, a offer most accepted. Using cunning tactics she cut the Delgrim supply lines, forcing the main army to halt their campaign and come back. The origin of the Lion Queen are extremely vague, some say she is a a immortal Guluian shaman while others state she is a avatar of the creator itself. The Fall of Delgrim (3056 AS): In a bold, almost suicidal move she took her best, bravest soldiers and attacked the Delgrim command camp, while her main army would welcome the Delgrim's campaign army. Her forces was shattered and she was captured. After 3 days of captivity, she emerged from the camp alongside many turned-traitor Delgrim soldier united under her leadership. The battle was almost lost however, her army kept falling back and was on the verge of extermination, even though the enemy moral was very low and most of their men starved. The Delgrim's army had technological advantages and far better troops. The Lion Queen ordered her last men to charge the Delgrim Army while she would retreat to the ruin capital, many men fled and only a few marched to battle. The result was obviously a massive Delgrim victory. Before departing the Lion Queen had all camps burned, all food soiled and all village evacuated. Without necessary supplies to support their own men, many soldiers deserted. Leaving General Pulgar with only half of his starting force. A few weeks later, the Lion Queen alongside a few tribals would start using hit-and-run tactic against Pulgar's forces. She had nearby village burned down, land salted and kept attacking the Delgrim's forces. Delgrim was finally defeated, however not without sacrifices; 500,000 innocents died because of the Lion Queen's tactics. The Unification War (3064 AS - 3234 AS): The Lion Queen personally executed Pulgar after his capture, with their head of command cut, many deserters joined the Lion Queen on her quest. Despite her horribly inhumane tactics and disregard of human lives she was fairly popular as a leader. She took the throne for herself and changed her personal name for the Lion Queen (no records exist of her personal name). She dissolutes the state of Delgrim, instead creating the state of Palance. Palance had little to no civil structure, it was a pure military state. The Lion Queen lead the forces of Palance herself. She took a few years to rebuild her forces and started a great campaign of unification, not only against Tenia but all small independent formed by the Tenian civil war. In a noteworthy battle she was greatly wounded and carried back to her land, she almost passed away from her wounds and was unable to participate in the campaign against Tenia for almost twenty years. Resulting in many crippling losses for Palance, greatly lengthening the campaign. After almost 200 years she managed to unit the shard under one banner. Old Palantium (3234 AS - 4122 AS): The Lion Queen dissolve the War State of Palance and form the Kingdom of Palatium. The capital of Tenia is converted into the capital of Palantium and soldiers are turned into polices. The peace was hard to maintain however, many revolts scourged the land and killed many innocents. The Lion Queen herself was worshipped as a Goddess and many fanatic cult started to spawn causing more harm than good. The Lion Queen, in order to stop the blight upon her land write two extremely well known document. The Palantian Civil Code (used as a base to the current Imperial Civil code) and the Cult Manuscript (the base of the teaching of the Imperial Cult). After 50 years of instability the kingdom start to thrive. Many discoveries are made in the way of science and magic. The Gulu capital is rebuilt, and a mysterious underground ruin is found underneath. The Lion Queen have a personal sanctum built into the underground structure, a impenetrable fortress warded and shielded from almost any threats, the Red Sanctuary. The Lion Queen retire in the Red Sanctuary in isolation, there she work on making her kingdom better. Eventually the whole Gulu capital will be transformed into the Royal Palace, new capital of Palantium. Palantium Empire (4122 AS - 9445 AS): The advancements of science and magic were without equals, however the Civil Code started to grow old and many citizen were discontent. The Lion Queen hasn't been seen outside the Red Sanctuary since 4000 AS and many believe she is deceased. Many accuse the government of hiding the death of the Lion Queen and keep the power for themselves while governing in her name. Lockle Abbas a general start a revolt against the crown, his campaign is extremely successful and he easily take the Royal Palace and have the prime minister executed. In the meanwhile the city of Tenia seceded from the kingdom and civil unrest start tearing the kingdom apart, many villages are pillaged in the chaos. General Abbas lay siege to the Red Sanctuary for weeks, in vain as the fortress was impenetrable. After many years of siege, the Lion Queen come forth from the sanctuary's ruby gate. She invite General Abbas inside at the condition he came inside alone. The general accepted her invitation and it took a week and one day before the general emerge alongside the Lion Queen. The civil code is rewritten to fit modern needs, the Imperial Edict was written alongside the civil code. The Imperial Edict spread the power equally and efficiently among noble houses and other organizations. The General take the position of Potentate, supreme leader second only to the Lion Queen, the Potentate possess the ability to edit the Imperial Civil code and command every branches of the newly create empire. The Lion Queen take the title of the Red Empress, a more fitting title for the newly created empire's immortal monarch. The Red Empress then retire into the Red Sanctuary, the Red Sanctuary will also serve as the home of the Potentate and where he can his scions without fears for the throne's future. The Golden Age of the Empire under the Potentate and the Red Empress begin and will last 3 millennium Void Engine: Imperial Colonization: Imperial Expansion: Modern Time: Something else ---- Category:Legacy of Darkness Setting